A Lovely Meal — Chapter 15

GROWING PAINS?

IF YOU WERE THAT WORRIED, HE MUST'VE BEEN REALLY SICK.

WELL IT LOOKED PRETTY SERIOUS.

MMHM?

HE WAS TOTALLY DRENCHED IN SWEAT AND DIDN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE ME.

HE JUST KEPT MUTTERING NONSENSE AND...

MHM.

AGH, SERIOUSLY! CAN YOU PAY ATTENTION?

OH, SORRY, I SPACED OUT FOR A SEC, HAHA.

WELL...I HAD A FEELING WHEN I SAW HIM. TURNS OUT I WAS RIGHT.

I'VE HEARD HALF-BLOOD KIDS GET THEM PRETTY BAD.

JUST GIVE HIM A MASSAGE OR SOMETHING.

IF HIS GROWING PAINS ARE THAT BAD, HE'LL PROBABLY SHOOT UP OVERNIGHT.

NEXT TIME I SEE HIM, HE MIGHT BE AS TALL AS ME, HAHA!

ACTUALLY, IF HE'S A SENIOR, HE'S PROBABLY GOT HIS COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS COMING UP, RIGHT? IS HE DOING OKAY IN SCHOOL?

IS HE GOING FOR REGULAR ADMISSIONS? SPECIAL?

HAS HE DECIDED ON A COLLEGE AND MAJOR YET?

WHY DO YOU EVEN CARE?

YOU'RE SO NOSY...

WELL, IF HE'S DOING WELL IN SCHOOL, I WAS THINKING I'D OFFER MY SUPPORT AND TURN HIM INTO SOMEONE THAT COULD WORK HERE!

AS IF HE'D EVER WANT TO WORK AT A PLACE LIKE THIS...

LOOK AT YOU, PRETENDING TO BE GENEROUS WHILE PLOTTING TO DRAG SOME POOR KID INTO THE LOAN SHARK BUSINESS.

I'M GONNA GO DO MY ROUNDS.

FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME, OUR COMPANY IS CLEAN. WE'RE A LEGIT FINANCIAL BUSINESS, ALRIGHT?

TELL HIM IF HE HASN'T DECIDED ON A CAREER PATH YET, HE'S WELCOME TO JOIN US ANYTIME!

WHAT ARE VAMPIRES FOR ANYWAY?

HIS FUTURE IS HIS OWN PROBLEM. WHY DOES TAE-GEUM KEEP MAKING SUCH A FUSS ABOUT IT?

UGH, I TOTALLY BOMBED THE MOCK EXAM TODAY. MY PARENTS ARE GONNA KILL ME.

DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU WERE SHOOTING FOR SPECIAL ADMISSIONS ANYWAY?

YEAH, BUT THE SCHOOL I WANNA APPLY TO STILL HAS A MINIMUM SCORE REQUIREMENT. I'M TOTALLY SCREWED.

EVEN THOUGH JONGWU HAS GOOD GRADES, HE DOESN'T SEEM ALL THAT INTERESTED IN GOING TO COLLEGE.

I THINK IT'D BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A CHAT WITH HIM ABOUT HIS FUTURE PLANS.

HAA...

SO THIS...IS THE "PERFECT SPOT" YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT?

YES! ISN'T IT GREAT?

IT'S LITERALLY JUST BEHIND HIS SCHOOL...

AND THERE'S ONLY ONE TREE...

UH... SURE...

A FEW DAYS AGO...

HYUNG! I FOUND AN AWESOME CHERRY BLOSSOM SPOT!

WANNA PUT THE KNIFE DOWN FIRST?

LET'S GO TOGETHER THIS WEEKEND!

NO.

HYUNG... ARE YOU STILL NOT INTERESTED? IT'D BE SO NICE...

WE COULD LOOK AT THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND EAT SOMETHING YUMMY... IT'D BE REALLY REALLY NICE...

HA... FINE, WHATEVER...

WOW!!! SO YOU'LL GO WITH ME?! YAY!!!

I WAS PLANNING TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT HIS COLLEGE PLANS...

...BUT HE'S JUST BEEN WHINING ABOUT GOING CHERRY BLOSSOM VIEWING ALL DAY, AND NOW MY WHOLE DAY OFF HAS GONE DOWN THE DRAIN.

THERE'S ONLY ONE CHERRY BLOSSOM TREE HERE...

BUT IT BLOOMED THE PRETTIEST AND FULLEST OUT OF ALL THE TREES AROUND HERE.

THERE'S EVEN A BENCH, SO WE DON'T NEED A PICNIC BLANKET! AND IT'S CLOSE TO HOME!

THE BEST PART IS, IT'S RIGHT BEHIND THE SCHOOL, SO NOT MANY PEOPLE COME BY. IT'S NICE AND QUIET.

SINCE YOU DON'T LIKE CROWDED PLACES.

MAYBE...IT ACTUALLY IS THE PERFECT SPOT?

WHAT'S ALL THAT?

YOU EVEN BROUGHT YOUR BACKPACK...

THE BEST PART OF CHERRY BLOSSOM VIEWING IS A YUMMY LUNCH BOX!

LET'S SIT DOWN AND EAT WHILE TAKE IN THE VIEW!

PAN-FRIED KIMBAP, STUFFED FRIED TOFU, AND CUP NOODLES CHERRY BLOSSOM PICNIC

YOU REALLY CAME PREPARED...

BUT, PAN-FRIED... KIMBAP? WHAT EVEN IS THAT?

IT'S JUST KIMBAP THAT'S BEEN DIPPED IN EGG AND PAN-FRIED.

MY MOM ALWAYS USED TO PACK IT IN MY LUNCH.

IT'S EASY TO MAKE, AND TASTES GOOD EVEN WHEN IT'S COLD!

Salt

<INGREDIENTS> - KIMBAP - EGGS - A LITTLE SALT AND COOKING OIL

IT'S A GREAT MEAL SUBSTITUTE TOO!

HMM... IT IS DIFFERENT THAN PLAIN KIMBAP. IT'S GOOD.

RIGHT?! IT'S REALLY DELICIOUS!!!

I SHOULD ASK HIM TO MAKE THIS EVERY NOW AND THEN.

I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D GO ALL OUT LIKE THIS.

IF YOU'D TOLD ME, I WOULD'VE BROUGHT SOME SNACKS OR SOMETHING.

I DIDN'T TELL YOU BECAUSE I WANTED TO SURPRISE YOU.

UH... SURE... THANKS FOR THE FOOD.

OF COURSE! I HOPE YOU ENJOY!

THE BLOSSOMS ARE SO PRETTY...

IT REALLY IS SPRING.

YEAH.

JUST CURIOUS...

HOW IS SCHOOL GOING?

SCHOOL? HMM... WELL...

I DON'T HAVE THE WORST GRADES IN CLASS, I'LL TELL YOU THAT.

YOU'D BETTER STUDY HARD.

IF NOT, YOU WON'T GET INTO COLLEGE AND THEN YOU'LL END UP LIKE ME.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN...?

YOU WORK HARD, MAKE MONEY, AND EAT DELICIOUS FOOD.

THAT'S EXACTLY THE KIND OF LIFE I WANT...

HE'S WAY TOO YOUNG TO BE CONTENT WITH SO LITTLE.

NO, I MEAN, IF YOU COULD, WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER TO GET INTO A GOOD COLLEGE...

LAND A COMFY JOB, AND MAKE A LOT OF MONEY WITHOUT HAVING TO BREAK YOUR BACK...?

I'M NOT SURE...

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING I'M SUPER INTO AT THE MOMENT, SO I HAVEN'T PICKED A SCHOOL OR MAJOR YET.

I FEEL LIKE GOING TO JUST ANY COLLEGE WITHOUT A REAL PLAN WOULD BE A WASTE OF TIME, SO I'D RATHER START WORKING AND MAKING MONEY.

YOU LIKE COOKING, SO WHAT ABOUT DOING SOMETHING RELATED TO THAT?

I'D RATHER KEEP COOKING AS A HOBBY.

THEY SAY ONCE YOUR HOBBY BECOMES YOUR JOB, YOU START TO LOSE YOUR LOVE FOR IT.

I THOUGHT HE WAS JUST DRIFTING ALONG, BUT HE'S PRETTY FIRM ON THIS...

I JUMPED INTO WORK STRAIGHT AFTER SCHOOL AND KIND OF JUST ROLLED WITH WHATEVER, SO I DON'T HAVE MUCH ROOM TO TALK.

SMART AND RICH PEOPLE ARE PRETTY ATTRACTIVE THOUGH...

HYUNG, WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY...?

IT'S NOT MY PLACE TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE, SO...JUST DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.

ANYWAY, I'VE HAD MY FILL OF FLOWERS FOR TODAY, SO I'M GONNA HEAD HOME.

IF YOU WANNA STAY AND ENJOY THE VIEW A LITTLE LONGER, FEEL FREE.

HUH?! NO, IT'S OKAY! I WANT TO GO WITH YOU!

I'VE GOT ALL OUR STUFF PACKED!

LET'S...

GOT EVERYTHING? ALRIGHT, LET'S G-

CHANGDEOK HYUNG.

WANNA MAKE A DEAL?

IF I DO WELL ON THE COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM...

AND GET INTO A GOOD UNIVERSITY...

...PLEASE THINK SERIOUSLY ABOUT DATING ME.

WHY WOULD I? I'M TELLING YOU TO STUDY FOR YOUR OWN SAKE.

WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT...?

IF YOU DON'T AGREE TO THE DEAL...

...I WON'T EVEN BOTHER WITH COLLEGE AFTER GRADUATION.

I'LL JUST START WORKING PART-TIME AT YOUR OFFICE INSTEAD.

THE KID WHO SAID HE WAS SCARED OF OTHER VAMPIRES...

WANTS TO WALK RIGHT INTO A VAMPIRE'S DEN?

THAT MAKES NO SENSE.

IF I WORK THERE, I GET TO MAKE MONEY...

AND HANG AROUND YOU, SO IT'S FINE BY ME.

YEAH, RIGHT. YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN JOIN JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO?

TAE-GEUM HYUNG TOLD ME I COULD MOVE IN WITH HIM.

I'M SURE HE'D BE HAPPY IF I SAID I WANTED TO JOIN THE COMPANY TOO.

HA...

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M GETTING BLACKMAILED OVER SOMETHING SO RIDICULOUS...

DID I TAKE IT TOO FAR...?

HE LOOKS ANNOYED...

FINE, IT'S A DEAL...

...ON ONE CONDITION.

ONCE YOU GET INTO COLLEGE, YOU HAVE TO GET A GIRLFRIEND.

WHAT? NO WAY!

I LIKE YOU, CHANGDEOK HYUNG. HOW COULD I DATE SOMEONE ELSE?!

AND THERE'S TECHNICALLY TWO CONDITIONS FOR ME. THAT'S TOTALLY UNFAIR!

SO YOUR TOTALLY UNREASONABLE, BORDERLINE BLACKMAIL DEAL IS FAIR?

MY CONDITION ACTUALLY HELPS WITH YOUR GOAL OF LIVING A NORMAL LIFE, SO DON'T COMPLAIN.

LIKE I SAID BEFORE, YOU ONLY FEEL THIS WAY BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER HAD A GIRLFRIEND.

BUT STILL...!

THE DEAL'S OFF UNLESS YOU ACCEPT.

IT'S YOUR CALL, JONGWU.

FINE...

THEN COULD I HAVE UNTIL WE GET HOME TO THINK IT OVER...?

WHATEVER... DO WHAT YOU WANT.

IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS...

THERE'S NO WAY HE'LL ACCEPT THOSE TERMS.

AFTER THINKING IT OVER, HE'LL DROP THE WHOLE THING.

THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH.

HE WON'T BRING IT UP AGAIN.